tag:,2016:blogdestructoidhttp://bulk2.destructoid.com/ele2/images/destructoid/favicon.ico2012-01-24T08:00:00Ztag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=220243Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingRumor: Microsoft Points to be phased out of Xbox Live2012-01-24T08:00:00Z2012-01-24T08:00:00Z<p>A new rumor suggests that Microsoft could abolish Microsoft Points in favor of something less stupid and more responsible -- real money!</p>
<p>According to several sources speaking to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insidemobileapps.com/2012/01/23/exclusive-microsoft-to-discontinue-its-virtual-currency-system-microsoft-points/">Inside Mobile Apps</a>, a number of mobile developers have been told to expect the change and plan their game updates around it. All existing MS Points would be converted to whatever currency is local.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Although Microsoft Points are used on Xbox Live, Windows Phone and Zune, cash alternatives have been introduced over the years. You can buy items using real money on Zunes and phones, and even Xbox Live uses it in a few instances. It would make sense to just get rid of the Monopoly money entirely at this point.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Still, it's just a rumor for now. Just because something makes sense, doesn't mean Microsoft will do it. In fact, it's <em>far</em> from a guarantee.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.insidemobileapps.com/2012/01/23/exclusive-microsoft-to-discontinue-its-virtual-currency-system-microsoft-points/">Microsoft to discontinue its virtual currency system Microsoft Points</a> [Inside Mobile Apps]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/220243-header.jpg" alt="Rumor: Microsoft Points to be phased out of Xbox Live screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=213410Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingMicrosoft officially kills off the Zune 2011-10-10T14:35:00Z2011-10-10T14:35:00Z<p>It's been treading water for quite some time, but Microsoft has today officially terminated its iPod competitor, the Zune. From now on, the Windows Phone will be MS' primary handheld focus. Looks like the company fed us a line of sh*t when it <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/new-xbox-music-service-with-voice-search-coming-in-fall-205896.phtml" target="_blank">said this wouldn't happen</a>.</p>
<p>That said, Microsoft won't be fully abandoning existing Zune users. Their products will still enjoy full access to Zune services and will continue to be protected under the terms of their warranty.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Considering the Zune was pretty much dead long before this announcement, it's more like Microsoft has dropped the <em>Weekend At Bernies</em> charade and let its corpse fall flat on the ground, with its bones jutting out of pallid, dried flesh and its bruise-covered face staring lifelessly at a little girl who is now screaming as the concept of her own mortality forces its way into her innocent, vital mind.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Something like that, anyway.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://gear.ign.com/articles/119/1199230p1.html">Microsoft Axes the Zune</a> [IGN]</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/213410-header.jpg" alt="Microsoft officially kills off the Zune screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=211133Wesley Ruscherhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Wesley+RuscherPreview: The new design of the Xbox 360 dashboard2011-09-11T23:00:00Z2011-09-11T23:00:00Z<p>The current Xbox 360 dashboard is kind of a clusterf*ck. Netflix, Hulu, and ESPN integration are great (as I use them pretty much daily), but a redesign is clearly needed. You can point the finger at Microsoft for its state of disarray, but really the madness can be attributed simply to the rules of Chaos Theory: the belief that everything constantly moves from order to disorder.</p>
<p>When the last Xbox 360 dashboard makeover (NXE) arrived, everything was peaches n' cream. Avatars were populating like rabbits, and Facebook, Zune, and Netflix found a nice balance among the Xbox Live marketplace. Everything was in order. <br /> <br />Then Twitter, Last.fm, and Hulu joined the mix, the XBL marketplace exploded with content, Kinect finally launched, and thus the chaos began. Longtime 360 owners have learned to deal with how all these crazy things work. But for those unfortunate to have just stumbled into the dash, finding the latest and greatest through a sea of tabs and ads can be a chore. Oh, and for the 10+ million Kinect users out there who were promised voice and gesture connectivity innovation -- the kind the world has never seen -- well, don't get me started.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/211133-dash1.jpg" alt="Preview: The new design of the Xbox 360 dashboard screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/preview-the-new-design-of-the-xbox-360-dashboard-211133.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=205896Conrad Zimmermanhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Conrad+ZimmermanNew Xbox Music service with voice search coming in Fall2011-07-12T03:00:00Z2011-07-12T03:00:00Z<p>[<strong>Update:</strong> Microsoft sent us a message to clarify that the updates coming to Xbox this Fall does not constitute a new service, but that the new features are intended to enhance the existing Zune service and not replace it. Our apologies for the mistake.]</p>
<p>During Microsoft's Partner Conference yesterday, the megacorp announced the impending arrival of a new music application on Xbox 360 this fall. During his speech, CEO Steve Ballmer stated that the "Xbox Music" service will offer more than 11 million songs, all searchable with the voice recognition software used by Kinect.</p>
<p>While the thought that my frequent exclamations of "Morrissey rides a cock horse" might one day result in my Xbox launching into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z20UYhP8vIQ" target="_blank">The Warlock Pinchers</a> is highly amusing, what does this announcement mean for the Zune brand? Presumably, Microsoft doesn't have a need for two music services and going with the Xbox Music moniker suggests that perhaps they may be ready to move on past what seems to have been an expensive experiment.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ballmer-talks-about-how-skype-will-fit-into-microsoft-2011-7" target="_blank">Ballmer Talks About How Skype Will Fit Into Microsoft</a> [Business Insider]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/205896-hd.jpg" alt="New Xbox Music service with voice search coming in Fall screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=161367Matthew Razakhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Matthew+RazakZune Marketplace to be down for 24 hours come Monday2010-01-24T01:00:00Z2010-01-24T01:00:00Z<p>To save you time I'm going to have everyone raise their hands. Now, everyone who does not own a Zune put your hands down. Now, everyone who uses Xbox 360's Zune Marketplace keep your hands up and everyone else put your hands down. Everyone with their hands up, please keep reading... all three of you.</p>
<p>Come Jan. 25 Xbox Live's Zune Marketplace will be going under scheduled maintenance for up to 24 hours. The maintenance will begin at 10 p.m. and end when it ends. During this time, which is sure to be quite harrowing for all, you won't be able to download new videos or music. Your current library will be entirely accessible, however.</p>
<p>Oh, and it looks like one of you three people still reading has fallen asleep. Well, for the two of you that care... oh no, the other guy was actually a cactus standing in the corner. OK, for you, the one guy still caring, I hope this downtime doesn't hurt you too deeply.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/161367-zune-marketplace-tv-on-xbox-1200-01.jpg" alt="Zune Marketplace to be down for 24 hours come Monday screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=151991Jordan Devorehttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jordan+DevoreSign-ups for the Xbox LIVE update preview program are GO!2009-10-14T20:00:00Z2009-10-14T20:00:00Z<p>Hey there good lookin'. Desperate to get early access to the upcoming social networking dashboard update for Xbox 360? Today is your lucky day -- sign-ups for the preview program are <a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/2009preview.htm">currently open</a>.</p><p>Both Gold and Silver Xbox LIVE members are eligible, although you'll need to have Gold if you want to try out the Facebook or Twitter functionality; otherwise, you can just play around with the new Zune features. </p><p>To get in, you need to take a <a href="https://www.xbox.com/xboxliveupdate/">quick survey</a>. Make sure to use the Windows LIVE ID connected to your XBL account, otherwise bad things will happen. Very bad things indeed. Those who make it through successfully can expect an email in about a week. </p><p>Good luck! </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/151991-facebook.jpg" alt="Sign-ups for the Xbox LIVE update preview program are GO! screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=149775Nick Chesterhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Nick+ChesterTGS 09: Zune Video Marketplace streams 1080p Vin Diesel to your 3602009-09-24T10:50:00Z2009-09-24T10:50:00Z<p>Come this fall, say goodbye to the plain old Video Marketplace on your Xbox 360 and say hello to the new Zune Video Marketplace. </p><p>Microsoft's Director of Digitally Distributed Games Scott Austin gave us a walkthrough for the service (which was announced at E3) at Tokyo Game Show this week. While it shares a lot in common with the current marketplace, it has more than a new, dark look (shown above) to match the the new Zune HD device. </p><p>Of note is that the Zune Video Marketplace offers up streaming in 1080p where connections allow. We saw Austin use the marketplace's new search function to find <i>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.</i> With servers in America and the system streaming from the Japan, the initial video streaming was in a low resolution that might make most videophiles barf. But as the stream started to catch up, the video transitioned to a crystal clear image in no time.&nbsp;</p><p>We were told that all of the current Video Marketplace content currently available, including movies and television shows, will be available on the Zune Video Marketplace when it goes live. Depending on the content, it will be available in both &quot;rent&quot; and/or &quot;own&quot; formats, with most purchases being available for viewing on three devices -- your Xbox 360, your Zune HD, and your PC with a Zune client.&nbsp;</p><p>The Zune Video Marketplace will be available on your Xbox 360 this fall, so start writing your eulogies for the Video Marketplace now.&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/149775-20090917_100955.50-620x.jpg" alt="TGS 09: Zune Video Marketplace streams 1080p Vin Diesel to your 360 screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/tgs-09-zune-video-marketplace-streams-1080p-vin-diesel-to-your-360-149775.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=148813Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingThis Crackdown-branded Zune HD is badass2009-09-16T09:40:00Z2009-09-16T09:40:00Z<p>Yesterday we found out that the Zune HD would be making the inevitable jump <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/confirmed-zune-hd-will-be-a-portable-gaming-device-148669.phtml" target="_blank">into portable gaming</a>, and as if that wasn't enough to tempt my gadget-whore side, this recently revealed Zune HD bearing the <i>Crackdown</i> logo has really started to give me itchy spending fingers. </p><p>The <i>Crackdown</i> Zune HD was <a href="https://twitpic.com/hx0o3" target="_blank">Tweeted</a> by John Noonan, one of the <i>Crackdown 2</i> developers who also co-hosts Microsoft's Platform Biased podcast. It looks creally quite awesome and I would quite like to have it. In fact, I hereby grant Microsoft permission to send me one of these ... for review purposes, of course. No Microsoft, it's perfectly fine, I will allow you to give me a Zune HD.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/148813-crackdown.jpg" alt="This Crackdown-branded Zune HD is badass screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=148669Topher Cantlerhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Topher+CantlerConfirmed: Zune HD will be a portable gaming device2009-09-15T06:00:00Z2009-09-15T06:00:00Z<p>After months of speculation and rumors, a video spotted via <a href="https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/09/confirmed-zune-hd-will-play-games/" target="_blank">Wired</a> has finally confirmed that, yes, Microsoft's <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/rumortoid-zune-hd-a-portable-game-console-and-media-player-132233.phtml" target="_blank">Zune HD</a> will be a portable gaming device.</p><p>The video above states right there in plain Englay at 32 seconds in, &quot;Play games.&quot; A Microsoft representative tells Wired that a handful of titles will be available right from the start when the device launches today. <a href="https://gizmodo.com/5359551/zune-40-software-live-incudes-apps-and-games-marketplacezune-hd-review-coming-soon" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a> reports some of the first to be <i>Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Vans Sk8: Pool Service</i> and <i>AudioSurf Tilt</i>.</p><p>This and a few other clips touting the Zune HD's new features were apparently leaked over the weekend and then promptly snatched away again at the request of Microsoft. No point in keeping secrets now, as it's hitting retail shelves as I type this. On top of games and HD Radio compatibility, the device also boasts Xbox 360 integration, with the ability to play HD video downloaded from Xbox Live. </p><p>No word yet on whether any of your XBLA titles will work on this thing, but given its touch screen interface it's safe to say the iPhone may have something to worry about. We'll keep you posted as further information rolls in. Hooray? </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/148669-zunehd.jpg" alt="Confirmed: Zune HD will be a portable gaming device screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=133596Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingZune HD officially announced, brings service to Xbox Live2009-05-26T22:40:00Z2009-05-26T22:40:00Z<p>Rumors have been <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/rumortoid-zune-hd-a-portable-game-console-and-media-player-132233.phtml" target="_blank">floating around</a> concerning a next-generation Zune for quite some time, and Microsoft has today made all our &quot;dreams&quot; come true with the official announcement of Zune HD and the extension of Zune services to Xbox Live. </p><p>The Zune HD, while not exactly an iPhone, will attempt to cater to all your portable media needs, with a built-in HD radio receiver, HD video capabilities and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen. An Internet browser and Wi-Fi functionality will of course be part of package, but that should go without saying. No mention of games thus far. </p><p>As previously mentioned, Zune will have a premier place on the Xbox Live Marketplace, bringing a fresh new library of TV and film content. Microsoft will be demonstrating the Zune's partnership with Xbox Live at E3, so by the end of next week we should see how it all works.&nbsp;</p><p>There you go, ladies and gentlemen. It is the Zune HD. Will you be chucking your iPhones in the trash for this little number?</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/133596-zune.jpg" alt="Zune HD officially announced, brings service to Xbox Live screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/zune-hd-officially-announced-brings-service-to-xbox-live-133596.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=132233Dale Northhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Dale+NorthRumortoid: Zune HD a portable game console and media player2009-05-15T15:40:00Z2009-05-15T15:40:00Z<p>God. Stop me if you've heard this or something like this before: The new Zune will play games. The new Zune will have an iTunes-like App store. The new Zune can teleport people and increase your penis size. If I had a nickel for every time I heard something about the new Zune, well, I would have enough to buy stock in the new Zune.</p><p>It's coming, and from everything we've been hearing, E3 is the big debut. People are starting to talk about it a lot, and it looks like TeamXbox is going through something that we've gone through from time to time. Like us, they broke a story a long time ago on the internets. Months later, when it's more relevant, people start talking about it like it is new news.&nbsp;</p><p>Get this: TeamXbox had plenty of hot info on this new <a href="https://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19639/Microsoft-Working-on-Digital-Entertainment-Handheld/" target="_blank">Microsoft gaming and multimedia wonder in <b>January</b></a>, says <a href="https://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/rumor-zune-hd-is-a-digital-entertainment-handheld-that-does/" target="_blank">Joystiq</a>. They all sound like recent rumors on <a href="https://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2752" target="_blank">system stats</a> and <a href="https://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2750" target="_blank">services</a> coming up lately. This sort of PSP/iPhone mashup allegedly would be able to grab your Xbox Live content, let you access the marketplace, hop on the Zune store, and even play Live Arcade games. Allegedly.</p><p>I'll be glad when this is all finalized and done. Or when I get my nickels. </p><p>[Image via <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/zune-hd-positioned-to-take-on-apple-sony-nintendo-and-google/" target="_blank">Engadget</a>] </p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/132233-poopface.jpg" alt="Rumortoid: Zune HD a portable game console and media player screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=131800Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingMicrosoft: Don't buy an iPhone, Zune June is coming!2009-05-12T08:00:00Z2009-05-12T08:00:00Z<p>According to Microsoft, you should <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/microsoft-june-2009-will-be-an-important-month-for-zune-lovers/" target="_blank">really hold off</a> on buying an iPhone just yet, because <i>huge</i> Zune news is coming in June, and it will blow your mind! Just in case you didn't know, June is E3 time, so it seems like MS will have a hot reveal for the Zune in LA.</p><p>MS dropped the news via its <a href="https://twitter.com/officethemovie" target="_blank">Office 2010 Twitter account</a>, where it's been hyping up Zune June. The term &quot;Zune June&quot; was<i> my</i> idea, but MS can use it if it wants to give me money. The Office account has been saying things like: &quot;New product launch ... hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre,&quot; and &quot;June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers.&quot; All five of them?</p><p>So, why would we want to hold off on buying those products? The most logical answer of course is that MS is adding iPhone-esque functionality to the Zune, continuing Microsoft's commitment to follow in Apple's footsteps with less success. Could E3 see the announcement of the ZunePhone? It would seem to be a likely bet. </p><p>Would you choose a ZunePhone over an iPhone? I somehow can't help feeling that if the Zune tried to copy the iPhone, it would fail on a number of issues, not least the fact that MS is a dictatorial emperor, and I can't see it embracing the freedom of Apps in the same way Apple did. Still, MS has its hands on some decent game licenses, so who knows what will happen? Mobile <i>Gears of War</i>, anyone? </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/131800-zune.jpg" alt="Microsoft: Don't buy an iPhone, Zune June is coming! screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=116503Brad Nicholsonhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Brad+NicholsonRejoice: Microsoft Zunes have magically fixed themselves2009-01-01T15:24:00Z2009-01-01T15:24:00Z<p>Yesterday, as Jim Sterling aptly put it, was <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/the-day-the-zunes-stood-still-every-30gb-zune-in-the-world-has-died--116413.phtml" target="_blank">the day the Zune stood still</a>. Every 30 GB Zune owner with a clock reading the correct time and a recent firmware update experienced a weird glitch that kept their Zune frozen on the loading screen. It's fixed. Everyone can once again &ldquo;Join the Social&rdquo; and enjoy their tunes.<br /><br />A leap-year issue caused the crash, but as many have already found out, the internal clock switching to 2009 magically fixed the problem. If your Zune is still on the fritz, the Zune support Web site <a href="https://www.zune.net/en-us/support/zune30.htm" target="_blank">has your back</a>. It is advising owners with extended problems to completely drain their battery and allow the device to die. After recharging, it should work just as it did December 30.<br /><br />Microsoft took a few lumps from those privy to the Xbox 360 &ldquo;Red Ring of Death&rdquo; problems, but it looks like this problem worked itself out quite well. There weren&rsquo;t any billion dollar recalls at least.</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/ul/116503-11-13zunegates_lg.gif" alt="Rejoice: Microsoft Zunes have magically fixed themselves screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=116413Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingThe day the Zunes stood still: Every 30GB Zune in the world has died!?2008-12-31T10:00:00Z2008-12-31T10:00:00Z<p>This is not strictly videogame-related, but it's such an incredibly <a href="https://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/12/31/red-ring-zune-30gb-versions-microsoft-mp3-player-all-fail-once" target="_blank">freaky story</a> that I'm sure you'll all forgive a rather tenuous link. Unbelievable reports have come in claiming that every single 30GB Zune in the world spontaneously died at 2AM this morning and now refuses to work. </p><p>According to the reports, the Zunes reset, powered back up and proceeded to freeze on the loading bar screen at roughly the same time. At the moment, no conventional means of resetting has worked. Due to the bizarre simultaneous nature of the crash, a number of people are now referring to the event as Y2K9.&nbsp;</p><p>This is incredible, and can't be good for a company that brought us the infamous red ring of death. Quite how Microsoft is going to live this one down after producing a terminally ill videogame console is beyond me. Just to test this problem, our very own Brad Nicholson called his girlfriend, who owns a Zune. Sure enough, it's broken.&nbsp;</p><p>Rest assured, I'm laughing my arse off as I type this. It's probably the craziest story we've had in 2008, and right on the last day of the year, too. Thank you, Microsoft: your commitment to quality hardware never ceases to produce pure gold.</p><p>[<b>Update:</b> According to <a href="https://twitter.com/majornelson/status/1088246543">Major Nelson</a>, they fixed the issue a very short moment ago. His Zune wasn't working, either, but magically fixed itself. Tech support had no clue of a fix when we asked them about it, though. Whatever happened might have happened of its own ghostly accord. Weird, weird stuff.] </p><p>[<b>Update Update:</b> Okay, now we're hearing it's NOT fixed. HAHA! This is the gift that keeps on giving. Apparently, the issue has something to do with the new firmware being unable to handle today's &quot;leap second,&quot; where one extra second is added onto the day. Or something.] </p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/ul/116413-zune.jpg" alt="The day the Zunes stood still: Every 30GB Zune in the world has died!? screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=85155Jordan Devorehttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jordan+DevoreCalling all Zune owners: Homebrew games are ready for play2008-05-08T15:16:00Z2008-05-08T15:16:00Z <p class="MsoNormal">With the release of <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DF4AF56A-58A7-474C-BFD0-7CF8ED3036A3&amp;displaylang=en" target="_blank">XNA Game Studio 3.0 CTP</a> yesterday, the Zune community was quick to start tinkering around with putting games on the multimedia device. One such enthusiast was even kind enough to release a guide on installing homebrew games, which <a href="https://www.zuneboards.com/forums/tutorials/23605-installing-game-xna-your-zune.html" target="_blank">can be found here</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The process itself involves downloading and installing a couple of programs, among other things, but the guide is chock-full of helpful pictures, so it&rsquo;s nothing you shouldn&rsquo;t be able to handle.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Here&rsquo;s hoping that XNA&rsquo;s best and brightest games get ported over to the Zune.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">[Via <a href="https://gizmodo.com/388302/put-games-on-your-zune-now-xna-30-preview-arrives" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/ul/85155-zune-tat.jpg" alt="Calling all Zune owners: Homebrew games are ready for play screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=31564Nick Chesterhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Nick+ChesterGameStop exclusive Halo 3 Zune available for pre-order, details2007-05-16T09:50:07Z2007-05-16T09:50:07Z<p>Back before Zune&#39;s launch, GameStop was pretty gung-ho about supporting Microsoft&#39;s digital media device. While I&#39;d be remiss to call GameStop&#39;s decision to carry the Zune a failure, the anecdotal evidence of every GameStop/EB in my area still having some first shipment Zune players paints an ugly picture. </p><p>But nothing can stop the power of the <i>Halo </i>brand, apparently, as the <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/halo-3-zune-is-zunetastic--31487.phtml"><i>Halo 3</i> Zune</a> will be hitting <a href="https://www.gamestop.com/gs/zune/zune.asp" target="_blank">GameStop/EB stores exclusively</a>, starting on June 15. The player (which retails for $249.99, like the traditional Zune SKU) not only sports the <i>Halo 3</i> branding, but also comes pre-loaded with a truckload of <i>Halo </i>goodies, including soundtracks, videos, and more (no Cortana nudie pictures, though).</p><p>Hit the jump for the full rundown. </p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com/elephant//ul/31564-halozune.jpg" alt="GameStop exclusive Halo 3 Zune available for pre-order, details screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/gamestop-exclusive-halo-3-zune-available-for-pre-order-details-31564.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=31487Robert Summahttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Robert+SummaHalo 3 Zune is Zunetastic!2007-05-12T13:04:47Z2007-05-12T13:04:47Z<p><img src="https://www.destructoid.com/elephant//ul/6885-468x-halozunetop.jpg" border="0" alt=" " /> </p><p>Last night in <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/eight-hours-of-halo-3-equals-eight-hours-of-pure-bliss-31479.phtml">San Francisco</a>, and apparently at the NYC <i>Halo 3</i> event, Microsoft gave away these very sweet<i> Halo 3</i>-themed Zunes. Being a Zune owner myself, I was ready to chop off a finger to get one of these bad boys to take home. They gave away three of them based on a random draw-a-business-card-from-a-hat style and unfortunately because Jesus hates me, I did not win. Damn you Jesus, DAMN YOU! </p><p>Anyway, check it out, it&#39;s the new hotness.</p><p>[Pic via <a href="https://gizmodo.com/gadgets/property-of-unsc/first-pics-of-the-zune-halo-3-special-edition-259877.php" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>]&nbsp;</p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/halo-3-zune-is-zunetastic--31487.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2016:/post.phtml?pk=29153Ishaanhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/IshaanGames for Zune by July 20082007-01-09T13:11:00Z2007-01-09T13:11:00Z<p>Looks like Microsoft is getting more and more ambitious by the day. According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=a5G_U4Wv8fZU">Bloomberg</a>, they are now looking to enter the handheld gaming market. </p><blockquote><p>Microsoft Corp., the world&#39;s largest software maker, will introduce video games for its Zune music player within 18 months to match features available on Apple Computer Inc.&#39;s dominant iPod. </p><p> Peter Moore, a vice president in the company&#39;s Xbox video- game business, confirmed the plan yesterday, saying the Zune&#39;s large screen will offer a better way to play handheld games. He didn&#39;t specify what games would be offered. </p></blockquote><p>I didn&#39;t think people cared much for the Zune, but if Microsoft manages to introduce some decent apps on the device, Apple might just find themselves facing serious competition. Although, I have to say, it looks like Microsoft is trying to compete with Apple, Nintendo and Sony all at the same time and depending on what they have in mind for the Zune, stretching themselves too thin may not be a very good idea. Live on the Zune would be awesome, though. Also, well-functioning and useful 360 compatibility is a must. </p><p>What do you guys think?</p><p>[Thanks to Chris Taran for the tip!]&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com/elephant//ul/29153-Moore-2.jpg" alt="Games for Zune by July 2008 screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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